Tuesday, November 22, 2011

A couple in Brooklyn started Hammersmith Copper Cookware out of a love for cooking, an appreciation for the durability and efficiency of copper, and an interest in bringing the glory of what they considered the best cookware to the public. After searching for some time to find copper cookware made in the states, they found it "hasn't been made in America for over a generation, but the last of it was made right here in Brooklyn." A series of happy accidents lead them to Jeff Herkes and his Bushwick shop, who at that time was fabricating the parts needed to restore the HighLine elevated rail line turned public park. "Jeff had acquired all the old chucks and other tooling for the Waldow line of copper cookware when he bought his fabricating shop in the 1980s. It was all there, along with the metal-working talent, ready to be resurrected."

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Holler Design is a small furniture making company in Tennessee. (if the name is familiar you may have seen them recently featured on fab.com)A collaboration of husband and wife team Matt and Melissa Alexander, two southerners who "have left home and returned with an imperative of what it means to be southern, and a desire to share that view with others." Inspired by rural forms and textures, their pieces are rustic, minimal, and pleasing in their simplicity and how the honor the wood. On their website they write, "Our objects exhibit a 'love of making,' retain a subsequent intrinsic value, and utilize a production process that is inherently sustainable, but which is grounded more in the tradition of craft than in the ‘green-washing’ of current systems of manufacturing."

Friday, November 4, 2011

If that retro look is your thing, have I got the company for you: Atomic Living Design by Detschermitsch located near Denver in Englewood, CO. Husband and wife team Lisa and Jesse Detschermitsch have always loved the look of mid-century modern architecture and furnishings that recall the homes they grew up in. They were inspired to design and build their own line of "modern furnishings for the mid-century minded."Environmentally conscientious, they use low and very low VOC water-based lacquers and eco-friendly sheet goods wherever possible. Available for purchase online here.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Not all New Balance sneakers are made in the US, but they are the only major sneaker brand that still makes a good percentage here. With five factories in New England - three in Maine and two in Massachusetts, New Balance maintains a commitment to US manufacturing. According to their website: "With a high-quality labor force, unique modular teams that are continually challenged to offer creative alternatives to foreign competition, and the confidence to be different, New Balance is able to survive and thrive, and take a leadership position in an industry that has sent most of its production overseas." We say kudos.
Now, you can support this commitment in a really fun way. They have made their classic US574 style fully customizable: with up to eight different colors of leather, an option of a leather back tab, up to eight different colors for the tongue tag, eight stitched characters per shoe, and nine color choices of embroidery thread. The base “N” is available in White, Navy or Black, while the top “N” and the shoe’s laces are available in nine colors. You might think you have to wait 4 to 6 weeks to get your shoes, nope! Your pair is shipped out within four to eight business days of ordering. There are endless combinations, so you can have a unique personalized take on a true American shoe!